Enlarged prostate treatment: the UroLift® procedure

Prostate enlargement is extremely common in men over the age of 50 and affects many men over 60. Often men are reluctant to see the doctor about these sorts of issues but, with an increase in the number of stories in the media about prostate problems, this is bound to change.

Prostate enlargement is usually nothing to do with prostate cancer and is due to benign prostate enlargement (BPE).  The prostate sits just underneath the bladder and, as it enlarges, it can block the way out of the bladder making the flow of urine increasingly slow and intermittent when a man passes urine.

In time this can lead to other effects on the bladder, such as wanting to go more often and having to get up a lot at night. This can lead to disturbed sleep for both themselves and their partner. Additionally, some men find that they’re having to rush to the toilet without much warning as the bladder is trying to empty even when it’s not completely full.  Eventually, men can get to the point where they cannot pass urine at all and this is when a catheter would need to be inserted.

For most men, things don’t get this bad, but they have slowly worsening enlarged prostate symptoms that they may put up with for a long time and not even realise until things are treated how bad the situation has got.

If you’re experiencing troublesome urinary symptoms, you should contact you GP about further assessment. Once approved, you'll have a full assessment to check on your prostate size and urinary flow rate and assess whether you’re suitable for treatment.

Assessments for prostate problems are now quite straightforward and can easily be performed at Benenden Hospital as an outpatient. 

There are many treatments for prostate enlargement, including enlarged prostate surgery and drug treatments, but some of these do have significant side effects.

The standard treatments for prostate enlargement, such as trans-urethral resection of prostate (TURP) or laser surgery, are very effective - but are bigger procedures with a longer stay in hospital. All standard procedures have risks of retrograde ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, and incontinence. These problems aren’t experienced with the UroLift® procedure.

Drug treatments are often prescribed in the first place for prostate problems, and these can be effective, but the UroLift® procedure is preferred by many men to taking medication for a long time - and has fewer side effects than taking tablets.

If you’re suffering from prostate enlargement - an extremely common condition in men over the age of 50 – you’ve probably noticed that you have problematic urinary symptoms. Enlarged prostate symptoms can include finding it difficult to urinate, needing to go more often, or having a weak or unusual flow of urine. Prostate problems can cause disruption, such as needing to go to the toilet during the night.

UroLift® is a low-risk outpatient procedure that provides rapid and long-lasting relief from inconvenient and stressful urinary symptoms associated with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). UroLift® is a proven, minimally invasive treatment that fills the gap between prescription medications and more invasive surgical procedures for prostate problems.

Small, permanent implants are placed into the prostate, pulling the prostate open. In doing this the flow improves, and bladder emptying improves, resulting in fewer urinary symptoms.

The UroLift® procedure has been around for some time now and has lots of evidence to support it. The procedure has been recognised and approved by NICE (the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) as a safe and reliable enlarged prostate treatment.

An enlarged prostate can narrow, or even block, the urethra causing bothersome urinary symptoms. The UroLift® delivery device is placed through the obstructed urethra to access the enlarged prostate.

Tiny UroLift® implants are permanently placed to lift and hold the enlarged prostate tissue out of the way and increase the opening of the urethra.

UroLift® enlarged prostate surgery is an outpatient treatment that requires no overnight stay. Because UroLift® is the first treatment for prostate enlargement that doesn’t involve destroying the prostate itself, there are far fewer side effects - so you can get back on track quickly. 

We’re excited to offer the UroLift® procedure at Benenden Hospital as a local anaesthetic procedure done under sedation, rather than a general anaesthetic, which allows an even quicker recovery and allows patients to get home the same day with low risk of nausea.

A GP referral will be required for this service, as well as a consultation.

Urolift requires no removal of tissue and no cutting is involved. As such there is no scarring, risk of sexual side effects or incontinence. There is a quick return to normal activity with freedom from medications. 

Unlike traditional operations which all involve cutting, there’s no risk of sexual side effects or incontinence. UroLift® is the first treatment for prostate enlargement that doesn’t involve destroying the prostate itself. It also has fewer side effects than most of the drug treatments for prostate enlargement.

UroLift® recovery times are quick; there’s a quick return to normal activity with freedom from medications.

The cost of UroLift® surgery is listed in the urology and urolift section of our treatment prices page. To book an appointment, complete our online booking form or call our Private Patient Team on 01580 363158.